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Original post made
by Bob Moriarty, Team Parent, Portola Valley: Ladera,
on Apr 30, 2010

Terra Nova scored five runs in the sixth inning, then survived a bases loaded-no outs situation in the bottom of the seventh to defeat host Menlo-Atherton 6-5 Friday afternoon and earn a split in its two-game series with the Bears. Despite the defeat, M-A retained its two-game lead in the PAL Bay Division with a league record of 8-2 (14-8 overall).

Trailing 6-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, M-A loaded the bases with no outs when Jeff Keller singled, Kyle Zirbes struck out but reached first base on a passed ball, and Nils Gilbertson was hit by a pitch.

Terra Nova pitcher Cage Cascone, who entered the inning having already thrown 106 pitches, then pulled off a miraculous escape. With the infield in, he induced Chace Warren to hit a hard, short-hop ground ball to shortstop Joe Corbett, who threw home to force out Keller. The next batter, Chris Gow, chopped a ground ball to the right of the mound, which Cascone snagged and threw home to force out Zirbes. Cascone then retired Cam Winnwho had already collected three hits off the Terra Nova pitcheron a ground-ball force-out at second base to end the game, along with M-A's four-game winning streak. Cascone earned a 129-pitch victory while scattering nine hits over seven innings, striking out six, walking two, and hitting one batter.

Menlo-Atherton starting pitcher Nils Gilbertson logged another solid effort for the Bears, but was hurt by five M-A errors and a nightmarish sixth inning in which Terra Nova recorded six singlesvirtually all on ground balls through the infield. Gilbertson threw 101 pitches over seven innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs as his season record fell to 6-2.

M-A took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a bloop RBI single by Wally Hansen and a two-run single by Keller. After Terra Nova cut the lead to 3-1 on an M-A error in the top of the third, the Bears extended their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the inning when Myles Brewer singled home Chace Warren and Winn scored on a double steal.

The Bears' 5-1 advantage held up until the top of the sixth, when Terra Nova used six hits and an M-A error to take the lead, 6-5. Sophomore Nick Mannessis' two-run single with two outs proved to be the game-winning hit.

Menlo-Atherton returns to action next Wednesday afternoon when it hosts Carlmont.

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